


LastShot

by SinzutheGreat



Category: OneShot (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Female Protagonist, Niko is a Teenager, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-10 15:34:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10441014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinzutheGreat/pseuds/SinzutheGreat
Summary: It's been years since Niko had her journey through the other world. Even though it ended... poorly, she was happy to be home with her mama again. But one day, she received a strange message, calling her back to a world she thought was gone.For Niko, and for the one guiding her, this is their last shot.(Tags will be updated as the story goes on)(Aside note: The "last" chapter is actually a message to my readers that I wrote after the prologue, not part of the story proper.)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify a few things before we begin:
> 
> First, this story is set six years after the game. Niko is now 15 years old.  
> Second, this story uses the "Return Home" ending.  
> Third, Niko is referred to as female in this story, because according to the developers, Niko's gender is supposed to be whatever the player interprets, and I interpreted a girl.  
> Fourth, the name of the player will be "Jack". Because it's my name, and it's pretty generic.
> 
> Without further ado, let's get rollin'!

It had been a peaceful day in the village. It was sunny, but also windy, so Niko wore her scarf and cat-eared hat as she waded through the wheat field. She could've asked someone to drive her to and from the city, but it wasn't too long of a walk. Besides, she liked walking. Though, it was getting late, and Niko was a bit worried she not make it back home before dark. And if she didn't, her mama would probably ground her for a week.

Luckily, Niko was back in the village with sunlight to spare. She let herself into her small, one-story house, and called, "Mama, I'm home!"

"Welcome back, sweetheart," her mama said softly as she set aside a book she'd been reading. "How was your day?"

"It was nice!" Niko pulled off her hat and sat down on a wooden chair. "My driving lesson went pretty well, and I found a really good restaurant right across the street!"

Niko's mama giggled. "Is that what took you so long?"

"Mhm!" Niko nodded shamelessly. "They make the best fish sandwiches! I'll bring you one tomorrow, if you want."

"No, thank you," her mama said, shaking her head. "I don't want you to spend your allowance on me."

It wasn't long after that Niko retired to her bedroom. It wasn't much to look at, just a small room with a bed, a window, and a desk, plus a few photos and crayon drawings taped to the wall.

When she turned out the light and crawled into bed, her cell phone chimed. That itself was strange; There was practically no service out near the village. She only had the thing in case she needed to call someone in the city. Curious, she flipped it open, and found a text message:

[Niko, it's Jack. Can you hear me?]

Her glowing eyes widened. She almost dropped the phone and screamed. It had been nearly six years since she'd heard anything from Jack, and she'd almost started to believe that journey from all those years ago really was just a bad dream. She texted back:

[yes. why are you talking to me again?]

Niko hesitated to send the message. Truthfully, she didn't know if she wanted that question answered. She'd been trying her best to only think about the beginning and middle of that journey, the people she met and the world she explored. Never the end. The sound of the sun shattering against the ground was engraved in her memory. But... could it hurt to ask? So, Niko pressed the 'send' key. Soon came the reply:

[I'm trying to rebuild the other world.]  
[I hate to ask, but... I need your help.]

Rebuild it? Could it be done? Niko texted:

[how? and why do you need me? arent you a god?]

The reply took longer than the last one. But it came, regardless.

[I'm not any sort of god. I was shocked when I heard I was.]  
[I'm just a normal person sitting behind a computer.]

"What?" Niko whispered to herself. Why didn't he say that before? The reply continues:

[I can make most of the world on my own. Landscapes, buildings, etc.]  
[But none of it becomes 'real' until someone else goes there, and sees something there.]  
[You're the only person who can go there, Niko. I can't do this without you.]  
[I understand if you don't want to do back. I won't force you.]  
[I don't want to make your decisions for you anymore.]  
[But this is my last shot. Please help me.]

Niko stared at the small screen for a good while. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in that world again, and forced to destroy it to go back home. She didn't think Jack would do that to her; He sounded like he hated that decision just as much as she did. She wrote:

[can you send me home when im done?]  
[without breaking another sun]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Yes. I wouldn't ask if I couldn't.]

Then what did she have to lose? Niko texted:

[ok. just give me time to say goodbye to my mama]

It wasn't as fast as the previous reply, but it was still quick to come.

[Alright. When you go to sleep, you'll wake up in the other world.]  
[Talk to you later.]

Niko climbed back out of bed, closed her phone, and tossed it onto the bed. She put on her worn trenchcoat, her cat-eared hat, and the scarf she'd had since she was a child. She walked over into her mama's bedroom, and found her reading by candlelight.

"Mama?"

"Hmm?" Her mama looked over. "Niko, is something wrong? Or is it already morning, and I just read the night away?"

Niko looked down shyly. "Mama... I need to go somewhere. I dunno when I'll be back, but I..."

Her mama set the book down. "Niko, sweetheart. Come here." Niko did so. "Is this the same place you went when you were nine?" Niko nodded. "Will you be able to call?" Niko shook her head. "I see..." Her mama pulled Niko into a hug. "Be careful, okay? And when you come back, I'll bake you a mountain of pancakes."

Niko nodded. Her eyes were getting misty. "Th... Thanks, Mama... I'll be back as soon as I can..."

She ran back into her bedroom before she could start bawling. She was almost a grown-up, and grown-ups didn't cry.

Niko climbed back into bed, pulled her hat over her eyes, and drifted asleep.


	2. Faded Light

Niko woke up on a soft bed in a dark room. The only light was the glow of her eyes, and a computer that had been left on.

“Here we go,” she said to herself as she stepped out of bed. Her footsteps echoed on the way over to the computer. There was a text document on the screen.

“Hi. If you’re reading this, Niko, it means you’re back in the other world. Well, almost. You’re in-between worlds right now. Right on the edge, in fact. When you leave this room, you’ll be outside the Tower.

“I can’t talk to you directly right now. Sorry. I can only do that when you’re in the other world. That’s why I contacted you through your phone. We can talk like normal once you’re there. ...Well, relatively normal. You know what I mean.

“Talk to you later.

-Jack”

The computer turned itself off once Niko finished reading. That sort of thing didn’t really faze her, though. She murmured, “But where’s the exit?” She looked around, and saw nothing but darkness in each direction… Then, a dim light, like moonlight drizzling through a window. Niko walked into that light, and…

                                   ...found herself outside the Tower, just like the message said. The scent of phosphor permeated the air, and everything was covered in a dim, red glow. The atmosphere of Refuge really put Niko on edge, though that might’ve been because it was where her journey ended.

“Okay…” Niko closed her eyes and focused. “Jack? Can you hear me?”

_I hear you, Niko. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?_

“Haha, yeah… Six years.” Niko sat down on the scaffolding, dangling her feet over the phosphorous water. “When I went back to my world, they told me I’d been unconscious for a few days. Apparently I just went to bed one night, and… didn’t wake up. Everyone in the village thought I was gonna die… But I didn’t. Obviously.”

_Yeah, you definitely don’t look dead. Just taller, mostly._

Niko giggled. “That’s what all the grown-ups at my village say.” After a moment of silence, she asked, “So, is it true? You’re not really a god?”

_Yeah. From my perspective, I’m just running some things on my computer._

“Huh…” Niko wasn’t sure what to think of that. Was this world just a program? Was _she_ just a program!? “Well, god or not, it’s nice to have someone with me. I get lonely pretty easy.”

_There’s something we won’t need to worry about. I’m with you every step of the way, Niko._

“Ha, I guess that's right. So what do you need me to do? Just walk all over the world?”

_Well, not all of it. But that’s pretty much the idea._

“Guess I’d better get going, then.” Niko stood up, adjusted her outfit, and headed out onto Vendor Street.

Once she stepped out of the Tower’s entrance area, a scruffy-looking man with pink hair covering his right eye, wearing a tattered coat and hat crashed right into her.

He fell right down, and as he scrambled back onto his feet, he frantically said, “Ah, sorry, sorry, didn’t see you… there?” He paused for a few seconds, then asked, “Wait, hold up, who are you? And why do you look like a taller version of the messiah?”

Niko recognized this person. He was that maintenance guy she’d helped with the elevator. “Um… I’m pretty sure I’m still the messiah. But please, just call me Niko.”

The man looked around nervously. “Er… Really? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure you were, like, a little kid the last time I saw you. Did I miss something?”

“What do you mean?” Niko tilted her head. Had _any_ time passed in this world since she’d went in the Tower? Maybe not, if Jack was recreating it from that point.

“I mean you’re-! Ah, whatever, pretend I didn’t ask,” the man said, exasperated. “It’s probably way over my head, anyways.” Suddenly, his visible eye filled with a mortified shock. “Wait, why don’t you have the sun?”

“Oh, w-well…” Niko started to panic. How could she say that she shattered the sun to go back home? And even if Jack had made a new sun, she had no idea where it was. “I… I went in the Tower, and then I was in this… dark place, and the sun was just… gone.” It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the entire story.

“...Oh… That’s, uh, a bit freaky…” The man scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well, I bet Jack’s got it handled, right? I mean, the world’s still here, so the sun must still safe.” After an awkward silence, he said, “I’ll just be on my way. Gotta get all these lanterns refilled, can’t waste time thinking about things!” And with that, he bolted off toward the factory.

Niko sighed. “That was close... Hmm?” She noticed a small lantern on the ground, lit by red phosphor. “He must’ve dropped this,” she deduced. Niko picked up the lantern. She’d probably have gone to the factory anyways to see Kip, so she figured she might as well return the lantern. Thus, Niko headed toward the factory.

The dull clanging of machinery could be heard well outside the massive complex. It sort of grated on Niko’s ears. She wondered how people could work here all day. Maybe they had earplugs.

“Welcome To The Factory, Person” greeted a robot stationed at the entrance. “Dr. Silverpoint Has Temporarily Removed Some Security Measures, So You May Enter At Your Leisure.”

“Um… thanks.” Niko was a bit relieved she wouldn’t need to do that light puzzle again. “Is there a maintenance guy here? Pink hair, tall, lanky, freaking out most of the time?”

“Affirmative. A Refuge Maintenance Worker Is Currently In The Vicinity.” The robot pointed over to the left. “He Is Replacing A Faulty Light In The West Wing.”

“Alright, thanks,” Niko said with a nod. She walked off to the left, then stopped. “Oh, and is Dr. Silverpoint busy? I’d like to talk to her for a bit.”

“Dr. Silverpoint Is Currently Away From The Factory,” the robot explained. “Would You Like To Leave Her A Message?”

Niko shook her head. “No, thank you. I’ll just come back some other time.” And with that, she headed off to the left. Sure enough, the maintenance guy was there, refilling a large floodlight with phosphor. She called, “Excuse me!”

“Gah!” The man jumped, miraculously not spilling any phosphor. He turned his head toward Niko, and shouted, “D-don’t yell behind me! I haven’t slept in eight days, and we don’t even _have_ days, so I’m a bit on-edge!”

“Sorry! Sorry, my bad,” Niko said. She held up the lantern, and said, “You, uh, dropped this earlier, so I came to give it back.”

“Oh. Um, thanks,” he said as he finished his work on the floodlight. “...Actually, you can keep it. I’ve got a bunch of extras, and you’ll want some light to carry with you if you don’t have the sun.”

Niko tilted her head. “Really? You’re sure it’s okay?” She knew there was only so much phosphor to go around, and wasn’t certain if it was alright for her to have some.

The guy shrugged. “I mean, red phosphor’s not that hard to come by. And, y’know, you’re the messiah. So, I guess I sorta feel obligated to help you out and stuff.” There was an awkward silence. “Er… Anyways, I got a million more places to be, so I’ll see you around.” And he bolted off.

Since Kip wasn’t at the factory, Niko walked back down Vendor Street toward that alley connecting it to Elevator Street. As she walked through the dense city, Niko thought back to her first time here in Refuge. She was blown away by the sheer scale of the place, the catwalks high above the ground and the skyscrapers reaching even higher. Now that she’d spent quite a bit of time in the city near her village, it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming. She remembered the maintenance guy telling her that Refuge wasn’t nearly as big as it looked, and Niko could see that now. While it was certainly more developed and heavily-populated than the Glen, it was all packed into a space that was even smaller than her village.

Before she knew it, Niko had already reached the back alley. As she stepped inside, she suddenly felt lightheaded… Her vision blurred, and she almost fell over, only saved by grabbing onto a wall. As everything faded to black, Niko saw something: The outline of a… fox? It had a brightly glowing spot on its head. Though, it was hard for Niko to process much of this… She felt like she was sick.

_Niko!! Niko, are you okay!?_

“I… I think so…” Niko’s vision returned, and that sick feeling faded away. She found herself sitting on the concrete ground, slumped forward. She shook her head, trying to get rid of some lingering vertigo. “What happened, Jack?”

_I… I don’t know! You just started falling, and it looked like you nearly fainted, then my computer started glitching out!_

“I think I saw something, a fox with a glowing spot on her head.” Niko scratched the back of her head. “Wait, that happened the first time I came in here, didn’t it?”

_Yeah, but that time, you didn’t… Oh well. Just, please be careful, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt, Niko._

Niko stood up, and said, “That’s nice to hear… But I think I’m fine now. I’ll let you know if I start feeling weird again, okay?”

_Okay. Thanks. I think that fox is in a little garden in this alley, if you want to look for it._

“You think?” Niko started walking toward that garden. “I thought you’d know everything about this world, since you’re making it.”

_So did I. But for some reason, I can’t do anything with that fox. There’s a couple names, too. “Rue”, “Cedric”, and “Proto”. I can’t use those names for anything, and I don’t know why._

“That’s… a bit creepy.” Niko sighed. “I guess I’ll just let you know if I see anyone with those names.” She entered the garden. Really, it could hardly be called a garden. There was a tree, and not much else. “Helloooo? Are there any foxes here?”

“...You’re back,” said a small, high-pitch voice. A small red fox with a glowing yellow dot on her forehead trotted out from behind the tree. “You two really did take your time, you know? I was afraid you’d really given up on this world.”


	3. A Message To Whoever's Reading (UPDATED)

Hi, this is Jack. The guy writing the story. I need to say something to you, person who's apparently interested in this story. For reference, I'm writing this twenty-some hours after I first posted the prologue.

Please, don't read this until you've played the Solstice update. Okay? Okay.

Less than an hour ago, I completed the Solstice update. When I went to play it, I was expecting just a single, self-contained event behind the locked door in Refuge. I was certainly not expecting the entire story to go flying off the rails the way it did. It greatly reminded me of a bunch of Undertale fics, including my own, where Frisk would break the sequence to achieve an even better ending.

But now that I know what the Solstice update is, I... don't know if I should keep going with this. My intention for the story was to combine the two endings, to save the world and let Niko go home. But now, the Solstice is a thing, which means that's already possible in the game. So I feel it would be redundant to write a story dedicated to that same idea, even if I do add the wrinkle of a teenage Niko.

What really amazed me is that my idea of what the player might be is almost perfectly what the World Machine's true nature is. The World Machine was created to simulate a world, and through the introduction of a real person, that world would become real. The same applies to my plan with the story; The player rebuilt the world after the sun was shattered, but it doesn't become real until a real person sees it. I meant it as an metaphor for storytelling- Until someone reads my story, and sees characters and plot, it's just a pile of words. Then the Solstice came, took that same idea, and applied it to the actual game. It's... kind of amazing, actually.

Alright, I'm done rambling. If you have any interest in this story, please tell me what you think of this. Because I just feel lost.

**\------------------------------------------------------UPDATE------------------------------------------------------**

Let me just say thank you, to everyone who told me to keep writing this. I didn't know if this type of story had a place anymore... But now, I know that there is a place, and that there are people who are looking forward to the next chapter. So... Thank you, each of you.

Knowing there's someone who wants to see what comes next is what keeps me writing.

-Jack


End file.
